John Alan Ams

PRO

John Alan Ams

4.5
Rating: 9.0

Licensed for 23 years

Criminal defense Lawyer at Youngstown, OH
Practice Areas: Criminal Defense, Child Custody, Divorce & Separation, Probate

134 Westchester Drive, Youngstown, OH

About John

Biography

Relentless representation. Every case. Every time. Attorney John Ams is ready to help you.

Relentless representation. Every case. Every time. Attorney John Ams is ready to help you.

Relentless representation. Every case. Every time. Attorney John Ams is ready to help you.

Relentless representation. Every case. Every time. Attorney John Ams is ready to help you.

Practice Areas

4

Practice Areas

Child Custody 30%

30%
Criminal Defense 30%

30%
Divorce and Separation 20%

20%
Probate 20%

20%

Fees and Rates

Cost

Hourly Rates

$ 175-225 per hour

Contingency

33%-33%

Retainer

Sometimes


Payment Methods

  • Cash
  • Check
  • Credit Card

Licenses

Licensed in Ohio for 23 years

State: Ohio

Acquired: 2002

Active

No misconduct found

Location

Law Offices of John Alan Ams

134 Westchester Drive, Youngstown, OH, 44515

attorneyjohnams.com

John Alan Ams's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

4.5 /5.0

17 Client Reviews

Filter Avvo Reviews (17) Refine reviews to match your needs. Use the filters to quickly surface reviews that align with your case or priorities.

Showing 1 - 5 of 5 reviews | Compassion

Posted by Megan | July 25, 2025 | Hired Attorney | Child Custody

Home Run!

Attorney John Ams is for anyone seeking legal counsel from a lawyer who is known for his honorable reputation by judges, other attorneys and clients in our area. From the very beginning, he demonstrated remarkable patience and attentiveness to my custody case, taking the time to thoroughly understan...d my situation and answer all my questions when I needed. What truly stood out was his efficient use of time and resources—he was committed to achieving the best outcome without wasting my money or anyone's time. His professionalism and genuine care made the entire process much less stressful - I felt like I could finally exhale. All calls and emails were returned quickly. If you're looking for a lawyer who is dedicated, attentive, and respectful of your time and resources, John Ams is a knight in shining armor.

Posted by Jodi | June 22, 2018 | Hired Attorney | Child Custody

Best decision

John Ams was the best decision we made when it came to going for custody of my husbands daughters. We will never be able to thank him enough for going above and beyond for the girls. Truly a lawyer who cares.

Posted by Sabrina | April 06, 2017 | Hired Attorney | Child Custody

Great Attorney!!!

I hired Atty Ams to represent me in a custody case. My son was living with his grandmother in Ohio and I lived in TN. I filed for custody of my son. There were a few things that could have been issues like my son had lived with his grandmother since he was about 7yrs old. And his father had custody p...rior to that so i had not had custody of my son since he was little he is now 13yrs old. I hired attorney Ams, and I am so glad that I did. He is very knowledgeable, easy to talk to, very responsive. And me being the nervous and worried mom, he responded and answered every question I had, tried to keep me calm. He is very down to earth and honest about what to expect. Anytime I would email him with a question or concern he always responded with in 24hrs, and a lot of the time with in Minutes. Even when I bothered him over the weekend. After a total of 2 hearings I was awarded full custody of my son. We did not end up having to go to trial, with Atty Ams help, my self and my sons grandmother were able to come to an agreement, and custody was immediately transferred to me at pre trial. And I brought my son home. I am so thankful that I hired Atty Ams. I would highly recommend him to anyone!!! He initially advised me that the custody process could take up to a year to resolve, and given I had not had custody of my son in a very long time there was no guarantee. My case was settled in about 5 months, and 2 hearings. Pretrial was held yesterday in Ohio and I arrived home in TN with my son today :)

Posted by Michael | October 06, 2014 | Divorce & Separation

Glad to have met Atty. Ams

My marriage had fallen apart and I was afraid I might not get to be with my children. I was overwhelmed and afraid. I found John completely by chance. I'm grateful that I did. He was very upfront about the challenges we were facing. He represented me during many hearings and I felt reassured by ...his competence. He met my fear with calm, my discration with focus, my grief with hope. My divorce was ugly and non-amicable so I'm fortunate to have found a great attorney. I would hire him again and most surely recommend him.

Posted by Carla | August 08, 2013 | Lawsuits & Disputes

Exceptional

Attorney John Ams is extremely knowledgeable. He is kind and fights for his clients. While keeping me well informed, it was my decision to take this case to trial, which he won effortlessly. Attorney Ams not only was more than prepared for this case. I would strongly recommend him for any legal m...atter. His clients are his priority.

See All Client Reviews

John Alan Ams's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse John
Ross Teele Smith headshot
Ross Smith

Criminal defense lawyer | Apr 05

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"John Ams is an experienced and highly respected attorney. He cares about his clients as much as for the outcome of their individual cases. He always represents his clients with the utmost skill, knowledge, and understanding. I can readily endorse him without hesitation or reservation."

Jerome Thomas Linnen Jr. headshot
Jerome Linnen

Unknown lawyer | Feb 26

Relationship: Supervised lawyer

"John Ams worked in my office both while he was studying law and after becoming an attorney. He is someone that brings great competency, professionalism and enthusiasm to the legal profession. John is someone that I have trusted with my own legal matters and I would look to him in the future if the need arises."

Michael John Maillis headshot
Michael Maillis

Unknown lawyer | Feb 18

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Ronald David Yarwood headshot
Ronald Yarwood

Litigation lawyer | Mar 05

Relationship: Opposing Counsel on matter

"Mr. Ams is a bright lawyer who advances his client's position in a professional manner. With John matters can be resolved with a hand shake. One of my more enjoyable trial memories was with him as opposing counsel."

Edward Joseph Hartwig headshot
Edward Hartwig

Juvenile law lawyer | Mar 04

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Attorney Ams is highly qualified and always prepared to take a case to trial if necessary. I have observed his work ethic and motivation to achieve successful results for his clients. I endorse his services."

James Andrew Melone headshot
James Melone

Criminal defense lawyer | Nov 21

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Paul Christopher Conn headshot
Paul Conn

General practice lawyer | Jan 23

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Thaddeus Wexler headshot
Thaddeus Wexler

General practice lawyer | Mar 29

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer's work."

View All Endorsements
Jerome Thomas Linnen Jr. headshot
Jerome Linnen

Personal injury lawyer

Ross Teele Smith headshot
Ross Smith

Criminal defense lawyer

Paul Christopher Conn headshot
Paul Conn

Juvenile law lawyer

Ronald David Yarwood headshot
Ronald Yarwood

Litigation lawyer

Edward Joseph Hartwig headshot
Edward Hartwig

Personal injury lawyer

Experience

Rating:  9.0 (Superb)

Honors

2013

Rising Star, Ohio Super Lawyers Magazine

2012

Rising Star, Ohio Super Lawyers Magazine

2011

Rising Star, Ohio Super Lawyers Magazine

2009

Rising Star, Ohio Super Lawyers Magazine

2008

Rising Star, Ohio Super Lawyers Magazine

2001

CALI Trial Advocacy Award, University of Akron School of Law

1989

Eagle Scout, Boy Scouts of America

Work Experience

2012 - Present

Mediator, Mahoning County Court Of Common Pleas

2008 - Present

Attorney, John A. Ams, Attorney At Law

2003 - 2008

Attorney, Pfau, Pfau & Marando

Associations

2003 - Present

Mahoning County Bar Association

Member

Sample of Legal Cases

State v. Jaabone Kennedy

Not Guilty verdict from a jury

State v. Danielle Burke

Directed verdict for the Defendant

State v. Bryandon Rutland

Not Guilty verdict from a jury

AR Systems v. Roscoe Poultry

Verdict for Plaintiff

Fox v. Labate

Verdict for Plaintiff

State v. Wilson

Not Guilty Verdict

State v. Barnette

Not Guilty Jury Verdict

State v. Brown

Not Guilty Verdict

Taylor v. McMurray

Not Guilty Verdict

State v. Hyde

Not Guilty Jury Verdict

See More Legal Cases

Education

2002

University of Akron

JD - Juris Doctor

1995

University of Akron

BA - Bachelor of Arts

Speaking Engagements

2014

Cuyahoga Falls Memorial Day Parade and Observance

Community Involvement

Avvo Rating

Our Rating is calculated using information the lawyer has included on their profile in addition to the information we collect from state bar associations and other organizations that license legal professionals. Attorneys who claim their profiles and provide Avvo with more information tend to have a higher rating than those who do not.

What determines Avvo Rating?
  • Experience & background Years licensed, work experience, education
  • Legal community recognition Peer endorsements, associations, awards
  • Legal thought leadership Publications, speaking engagements
  • Discipline Disciplinary information may not be comprehensive, or updated. We recommend that you always check a lawyer's disciplinary status with their respective state bar association before hiring them.
Avvo Rating Levels
10.0 - 9.0 Superb8.9 - 8.0 Excellent7.9 - 7.0 Very Good6.9 - 6.0 Good5.9 - 5.0 Average4.9 - 4.0 Concern3.9 - 3.0 Caution2.9 - 2.0 Strong Caution1.9 - 1.0 Extreme Caution